pandour
[ pan-doo r ]
/ ˈpæn dʊər /
noun
History/Historical.
a member of a local militia in Croatia, formed as a regiment in the Austrian army in the 18th century and noted for its ruthlessness and cruelty.
a brutal, marauding soldier.
Origin of pandour
1740–50; < French
pandour(e) ≪ Serbo-Croatian
pàndūr community or city policeman, pandour, probably < Hungarian
pandúr < Slavic
*pǫdarĭ (> Serbo-Croatian
pùdār one who guards a vineyard), derivative of
*pǫditi to drive off, frighten; the Serbo-Croatian variant
bàndūr (17th century) may result from crossing with Medieval Latin
banderia or Italian
bandiera troop, literally,
banner
Words nearby pandour
pandora,
pandora shell,
pandora's box,
pandorae fretum,
pandore,
pandour,
pandowdy,
pandurate,
pandure,
pandy,
pane
Example sentences from the Web for pandour
British Dictionary definitions for pandour
pandour
/ (ˈpændʊə) /
noun
one of an 18th-century force of Croatian soldiers in the Austrian service, notorious for their brutality
Word Origin for pandour
C18: via French from Hungarian
pandur, from Croat: guard, probably from Medieval Latin
banderius summoner, from
bannum
ban
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